Laser survey points to Stonehenge's solstitial past

A new survey of Stonehenge provides further evidence that its use was closely connected to the solstices, according to a team from English Heritage. Analysis of a 3D laser scan of the monument suggests that it was aligned with the solstices, with stones facing north-east being larger and more uniform than those in the south-west, which are more irregular in formation. The project's researchers also believe that the stones were positioned to maximise the impact of the midwinter sunset for people approaching the circle from the Avenue, an ancient processional path to the north-east.

Siberian boy uncovers woolly mammoth

A carcass discovered by an 11-year-old boy in northern Siberia in August is that of a woolly mammoth, according to experts from St Petersburg. The animal, which was preserved by the surrounding frozen permafrost, is estimated to have been around 16 years old when it died and would have weighed 500kg. Sergei Gorbunov from the International Mammoth Committee, which worked with the St Petersburg Institute to excavate the body, said: "We had to use both traditional instruments such as axes, picks, shovels as well as such devices as [a] 'steamer', which allowed us to thaw a thin layer of permafrost."

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